West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-10-21
PATRICK HENRY.

In the library of Cornell Univer-
sitv is the manuscript of Edward
Fontaine's description of Henry's
manner OF delivering his most cele-
brated speech. 1t is as follows:
"When he said is life so dear or
peace so sweet as to be purch ased at
the price of chains and slavery| he
stood in the attitude of a condemned
galley slave loaded with fetters
awaiting his doom. His form was
bowed, his wrists were crossed, his
manacles were almost visible as he
stood like an embodiment of help
lessness and agony. After q solemn
pause he raised his eyes and chained
hands toward heaven and prayed in
words and tones which thrilled every
heart: Forbid it, Almighty Godr
He then turned toward the timid
loyalists of the house, who were
uuaking with terror at the idea of
the consequences of participating in
proceedings which would be visited
with the penalties of treason by the
British Crown, and he slowly bent
his form yet nearer to the earth and
said. Il know not what course others
may take and he accompanied the
word with his hands still crossed
while he seemed to be weighed down
with additional chains. The man
appeared transformed into an op-
pressed, heart broken and hopeless
felon. After remaining in this pos
ture of humiliation long enough to
impress the imagination with the
condition of the colony under the
iron heel of military despotism, he
arose proudly and exclaimed: But
as for me-and the words Kissed
through his clinched teeth, while his
body was thrown back, and every
muscle and tendon was strained
against the fetters which bound him
and, with his countenance distorted
by agony and rage, he looked for a
moment like LAGOON in death
struggle with coiling serpents; then
the loud, clear, triumphant notes,
Give me liberty electrified the as.
semblv. 1t was not prayer, but q
stern demand, which would submit
to no refusal or delay. The sound
of his voice as he spoke these mem
orable words was like that of Spar
tan pean on the field of Plat@a; and
as each syllable of the word liberty
echoed through the building his fet-
ters were shivered; his arms were
hurled apart, and the links of his
chains were scattered to the winds.
When he spoke the word liberty
with al emphasis never given 1T be-
fore, his hands were open and his
arms elevated and extended; his
counterance was radiant; he stood
erect and defiant, while the sound of
mis- voice and the sublimity of his
attitude made him appear q magni-
ficent incarnation Of freedom, and
expressed all that can be acquired
or enJoyed by nations and individu-
ais invincible and free. After mo-
meptary pause long enough to per-
nit the echo of the word liberty TO
cease, he let his left hand fall power
less to his side and clinched his
right hand firmly as il holding a
dagger with the point aimed at his
breast. He stood like q Roman Sen
ator defying Caesar, while the un-
conquerable spirit of Cato of Utica
flashed from every feature, and he
closed the grand appeal with the sol
emn words or give me death! which
sounded, with the awful cadence OF
hero's dirge, fearless of death and
victorious in death; and he suited
the action to the word by blow
upon the left breast with the right
hand which seemed to drive the dag
ger to the patriots heart"